Continuous leer



2 19 Aug 27 E. E. sLacK CONTINUOUS LEER Filed Feb. 11, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 17 &

ll a fililpllllll J WITNESSES 6 Aug, 2, 1927.

E. E. SLICK CONTINUOUS LEER Filed Feb.ll, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 w M f U a I I I I I 0 n D? J3} lsifld & n QM. QM Q KN m QM 1 i ymm m mm \ww \Q X a? w Tl v w x r an m 3% a :fi E- f {I i Q Mk mm L m \w I 1,637,714 Aug. 1927- E, E. SLICK CONTINUOUS LEER Filed Feb.ll, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Augu 2 9 19279 E. E. SLICK CONTINUOUS LEER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb.ll, 1925 Filed Feb.ll, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 mgul Patented. Aug. 2, 1927.

EDWIN SLICK, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTINUOU S LEER.

Application tiled February This invention relates to improvements in glassware annealing leers of the continuous type and mechanism for charging the were i into the leers.

An object of this invention is to produce a simple yet eliicient glassware annealing leer of the continuous type in which the ware is indirectly heated.

Another object of this invention is to produce a glassware annealing leer of the continuous type in which the heating unit not only efficiently heatst-he chamber through which the ware is conveyed, but in addition thereto, heats the traveling leer conveyor hefore it reaches the point at which the ware is placed thereon to a temperature substantially equal to that of the ware to be an healed.

A further object of this invention is to produce a glassware annealing leer ot the continuous type and mechanism co-operating therewith of such construction and arrangement that the articles to be annealed are automatically distributed to and placed in positionupon the leer conveyor.

4 1 still further object of this invention is to produce an automatic charging device for leers of the continuous type by means of which the articles to be annealed are gently placed in position on the leer conveyor in close, but spaced, relation.

A still furtherobject of this invention is to produce charging mechanism adapted for co-operation with a traveling leer conveyor and which may be adjusted so to accommodate articles of different shapes and sizes.

A still further object ct this invention is to produce an automatic charging device for continuous leers by means of which spacing of the articles upon the leer conveyor may be regulated in order to accommodate articles of different shape and size and in or der to synchronize the charging device with glassware forming machines of ditlerent capacities.

These, as well as other objects which will appear to those skilled in the particular art to which this invention relates, l attain by means of the organized apparatus described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part o-l this application.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan View with a section thereof broken away, of an rganized apparatus embodying this inventhe leer.

11, was. Serial No. 3,402.

tion. I Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a view in Ion-- git'udinal section of the entrance end of This view graphically shows the position of the heating unit for the leer and 0 its position with relation to the leer conveyor. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line H of Fig. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail "views showing the construction of the leer conveyor. Fig. 7 is a front view in elevation 6 of the organized apparatus. In this view,

a portion of the front hood is cut away for the sake of clearness. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the entrance end of the apparatus and shows intop plan the charging 7 mechanism and the mechanism fortransporting ware to the charging mechanism and Figs. 9 and '10 are enlarged detail views of portions of the charging mechanism.

The organized apparatus comprises the leer proper the charging mechanism and mechanism for carrying or transferring glassware or glass articles from the forming machine or machines to the charging mechanism. The forming macl'iine may he a press machine, a blow machine or a press and blow machine.

The leer proper comprises a relatively long housing which forms a tunnel-like annealing chamber. This chamber is heated by in- 35 direct heat derived. from a heating unit located adjacent the entrance end. or the leer and positioned. between the top and bottom of the heating chamber.

An endless conveyor made up of relative- $0 ly thin perforated sheet metal flights linked together is so supported and driven that the upper run of the conveyor which moves iii-- wardly from the entrance end is locatedabove the heating unit while the lower run 9 is located below the same. On account of this arrangement, the conveyoron its return movement as it approaches the entrance end of the leer is heatedto approximately the temperature of the ware as it reaches the leer from the forming machine.

The annealing chamber is of such length that the articles conveyed therethrough will be raised and maintained at annealing temperature a suilicient time to remove internal 1 5 strains and will then be gradually cooled be fore they reach the discharge end.

An endless belt conveyor is utilized for transferring articles from the forming machine to the, leer charging mechanism. This i positions in order to adapt it for co-operation with different forming machines.

The charging mechanism receives the ar ticles carried to the leer by the conveyor belt and automatically distributes them in spaced relation and in regular rows upon the leer conveyor. The charging mechanism may be adjusted so as to take care ofdiiiercnt sized articles and may also beadjusted so as to synchronize with forming machines of ditterent capacities. In other words, it can be so adjusted as to synchronize with a forming machine making 16 articles per minute or with one making 20 articles per minute, etc.

The construction of the leer housing may,

of course, be varied, but as shown in the drawings, it referably consists of brick side walls 15 which are supported on a suitable foundation and a roof 16 which is preferably flat.

The roof is supported by inverted T-sections 17, the ends of which are secured in the side walls. Tile 18 rest upon the flanges of the T-sections and support the brick or other heat insulating material forming the roof proper.

The heating unit or element which is located adjacent the entrance end 19 of the leer and between the upper and lower runs of the leer conveyor, is supported on flanged sections 20 which are arranged in parallel relation and are anchored in the side walls. These sections may either be inverted T- sections or as shown in the drawings, each section may be composed of two angles placed side by side and preferably secured together.

Asbestos boards 21 of the required size and thickness rest upon the flanges of sections 20 and forma foundation for the heating unit. The asbestos boards also serve to limit the downward radiation from the heating unit.

The bottom of the heating unit is composedof tile 22 and the top of the unit is composed of similar tile 23. Fire bricks 24 serve to support the roof tile and are so arranged as to provide a tortuous'"path in the nature of a checkcrwork tor the hot combustion gases.

The heater element reaches across the .en tire width of the annealing chamber and as shown in Fig. 4. extends into the side walls 15. Openings 25, preferably two, arranged in staggered relation extend through the side walls 15 at the inlet end of the anneal- 111g chamber and communicate with the interior of the heating unit. A burner nozzle :26 extends into eaclrot' these openings. The

burners may be constructed so as to utilize either natural gas, producer gas or oil as fuel. The fuel is supplied through pipes 27 which connect with a suitable source of fuel supply. Pipes 28 for supplying the burners The hot gases of combustion pass through the tortuous interior of the heating unit to the outlet end 29 which communicates with a suitable flue 30 connected to a stack (not shown). A damper 31 is provided for controlling flue 30.

The leer conveyor which is endless is made up of a number of relatively thin perforated sheet-metal flights32 which are connected togetherby means of links 33 and pins 34. The links are bifurcated as shown in Fig. 5,

and each of the pins carries a roller 35 mounted thereon between the furcate parts.

The upper run of the conveyor is supportcd by parallel spaced channel sections 36 while the lower run is supported upon a series of rollers 37 supported within channel sections 38 extending along the bottom of the leer housing.

The forward end of the leer conveyor is supported upon two spaced sprocket wheels 39 (only one of which is shown) mounted upon a horizontal shaft 40. These are idler sprockets and the shaft supporting the same is mounted in bearings which are adjustable toward and from the leer entrance for the purpose of taking up the unnecessary slack in the conveyor.

The opposite end of the leer conveyor is supported on sprockets mounted on a fixed shaft 41.

variable speed transmission device 44 is rotate-.l at the proper speed to secure the desired linear travel of the leer conveyor. The mechanism will preferably be so constructed that the linear travel of the leer conveyor may be varied from say 7 to 46 feet per hour. The speed of travel will be varied to suit different ware.

Channel sections 36 are supported on 1'- beams 45 which are anchored in the side walls 15. In order to secure the channel sec-- This shaft by means of a motor 42. a suitable chain drive 43 and a Reeves tionsto the I-beams and at the same time allow for expansion due to temperature changes, the channel sections are loosely secured to the I-beams by screws 46 and cross member 47 which connect the screws below the I-beams. The heads of screws 46 are countersunk in the web of the channel sections.

to any appreciable extent.

flat moving apron or bed extending substantially the full width of the annealing chainher and from the entrance to the outlet end of the apparatus.

A hood 49 provided with windows or peepholes 50 and swinging doors 51 covers the entrance 19 tosthe leer chamber and prevents the escape of heat. Another hood 52 extends from hood 49 to the base of the apparatus and covers the forward end of the conveyor.

The hoods are preferably made of sheet metal-and one or both may be lined with heat insulating material.

The charging mechanism for the leer comprises an endless metal belt-like member 53 that encircles the upper run of the leer conveyor just in front of entrance 19 to the annealing chamber. A door or opening 54 is provided in one side of hood 49 over the upper run of this belt-like member 53. This opernng serves as an entrance for the articles to .be annealed.

Belt-like member 53 is preferably spun from seamless steel tubing and is relatively thin and flexible. It is mounted on two pulleys 55 and 56 carried on parallel horizontal shafts 57 and 58 located on opposite sides of the apparatus. The pulleys are so positioned that the upper run of belt 53 lies in substantially the same plane as the upper surface of the upper run of the leer conveyor so that articles moved laterally from belt 53 onto the leer conveyor will not be tipped Shaft 57 which at one endcarries pulley 55 at the other end is provided with a mitre gear 59. This gear meshes with a gear 60 carried at the lower end of a. vertical shaft 61. Shaft 61 extends upwardly. above the top of the apparatus and at its upper ends carries a mitre gear 62. A suitable electric motor 63 located upon the top or roof of the apparatus isutilized to drive the charging mechanism andthe mechanism for conveying the articles tothe charging mechanism. The shaft of this motor is coupled to a wiorm that meshes with a I worm wheel located within a housing 64 and a gear 65 on the worm wheelshaft which meshes with gear 62- drives shaft 57 which carries pulley 55. Pulley 56 is an idler pulley and the support 66' within which this shaft is journaled is movably mounted so that pulley 56 can be moved laterally of the apparatus to adjust the tension of the charging belt 53.

The articles to be annealed are carried .from the forming machine or mfchines to the charging conveyor 53 by means of an endless belt conveyor 67.. This conveyor is mounted on two pulleys 68 and 69 of which the latter is an idler pulley. Pulley 68 is keyed to a shaft 70 and the inner end of this shaft carries a mitre gear 71 that meshes with gear 60 carried at the lower end of vertical shaft 61.

The support 72 within which shaft 60 is journaled is mounted for movement about a vertical stud 73 which is in axial alignment with vertical shaft 61. Support 72 is locked in'position upon a base member 74 by means of bolts 75 which extend through slots 76 formed in the support member 7 2.

A channel section 77 extends between pulleys 68 and 69 for conveyor belt 67 and the web of the section forms a support for the upper run of the conveyor belt. This channel is supported by means of suitable upright supports 78 which can be moved to different positions upon their supporting foundationf The flanges of the channel section 77 form side members for preventing the articles carried by the conveyor belt 67 from moving laterally off the belt. It will be seen from this construction that if it is necessary to swing the conveyor belt 67 to one side or the other in order to accommodate the forming machine, this can be done because of the mounting device for shaft 7 0 which carries pulley 68. The lower run of conveyor belt 67 is supported upon rollers 7 9 carried in brackets 80 depending from channel section 77.

A circular transfer plate 81 formedv of relatively thin metal is mounted upon a vertical stud carried by a. support plate 83 secured to support post 84 which is the end post of the series of support posts 7 8.

Transfer plate 81 is positioned between the upper run of charging conveyor 53 and the upper run of conveyor belt 67 and contacts with both of these belts so as to be rotated thereb The linear speeds of charging belt 53 an conveyor belt 67 are the same. Channel section 77 terminates just short of transfer plate 81 and two parallel guide members 85 and 86 connected to the flanges of channel section 77 are curved over transfer plate 81 and extend into opening 54 in the side of hood 49. These guide members compel the article to move off conveyor belt 67 and onto transfer plate 81. Theyalso compel the articles to leave the transfer, plate and move onto the charging conveyor 53.

The mechanism for transferring the articles fromcharging conveyor 53 onto the leer conveyor comprlses a displace! or plough member which reciprocates back and forth acrossthe leer conveyor above the charging of the leer conveyor and the number of ar ticles per minute arriving at the transfer plate.

The displacer mechanism comprises a displacer member 87 having an operating face Ill 88 inclined to the line of travel of thecharging conveyor 53. The displacer member is mounted to slide upon a rod 89 which extends across the leer conveyor and at its opposite ends-is supported by the endsof hood 49. 1

A cable 90 preferably a flexible wire cable, attached at apoint intermediate its ends to the displacer member, at one end whichis free, carries a weight 91. The cable passes over a rope pulley 92 located in the same horizontal plane as displacer 87. c

The displacer operating mechanism comprises a rigid channeled support 93 and a pivoted channeled support 94. Loosely mounted upon a shaft 95 secured within the flanges of channeled support 93 is a series of rope sheaves or ulleys 96 (the structure of the drawings incliides four such sheaves). A similar series out rope pulleys or sheaves 97 is loosely mounted on a shaft 98 carried within the flanges at the top of pivoted support 94. Cable 90 passes around the two series of sheaves andhas its end 99 secured to fixed support arm 93.

A cam 100 keyed to a shaft 101 which is journaled within bearings formed in the flanges of fixed support arm 93 during rotation causes support arm 94 which may be termed a fulcrum arm to swing back and forth on its pivot 102. A contact roller 103 carried by the fulcrum arm bears on th outer periphery of the cam.

A cable 104 at one end isiattached to the fulcrum arm and passes over a sheave 105 and at its free end carries a weight 106. This weight tends to move the fulcrum arm 94 away from cam 100 and therefore relieves the cam of part of its burden during the separation of the two series of sheaves 96 and 97. Weight 91 which moves the displacer extent that a counterbalance weight 106 for the fulcrum arm is desirable.

Cam shaft 101 is driven by'a motor 107 through the instrumentality of gear 108 and a Reeves variable transmission device 109.

Veight 91 is sufliciently heaver than weight 106 to cause contact roller 103 to at all times remain in contact with the cam.

The cam which rotates in the direction of "the influence of weight 91 to be carried across the leer conveyor at a rapid speed.

The mechanism is "preferably so designed that the displacer during its rapid movement will travel at the same speed as the arm 93 and the fulcrum arm 94 and the maximum stroke of the fulcrum arm. Every complete loop of cable 90 about the sheaves 96 and 97 multiplies the stroke of the fulcrum arm by two and the distance the displacer travels during itsreciprocation depends upon the number of complete loops of the cable. The movement of the displacer maybe increased by adding loops or decreased by subtracting loops.

The speed of travel of the displacer during its operating stroke (when moving counter to the upper run of the charging conveyor) depends upon the speed of rotation of cam 100 and its speed may be varied by adjusting the Reeves variable transmission 109. During each complete revolution of the cam, the displacer will make one oomeer conveyor and as before said, the return or idle stroke of the displacer is controlled by the fall provided on the cam which is preferably so designed that the linear speed of the displacer on its return stroke equals the linear speed of the charging conveyor belt 53.

If the apparatus is to be used in connection with a forming machine adjusted so as to turn out 20 complete articles per minute, it will be desirable to "operate the charging conveyor at a speed of 100 feetper minute.

and since the transfer conveyor 67. is driven plete movement forward and back across the at the same linear speed as the charging conveyor and the transfer plate is rotated by these two conveyors, articles will pass into the apparatus at the rate of 20 per minute arranged at regular intervals of 5 feet. If

the forming machine has a greater capacity than 20 per minute, the distance between the articles will be proportionately less. If the leer conveyor is 60 inches wide and the articles produced by the forming machine are 3inches in diameter (such, for instance, as tumblers) and the capacity of the forming machine is 20 per minute, the displacer on its operating stroke will move at the rate of 3 inches for every five feet of linear travel of the charging belt; With the displacer moving at a speed of 3 inches for every five feet of linear travel of the charging belt, the displacer will displace 20 articles in a. row across the leer conveyor during each charging stroke. .When the'20'articles have been displaced or pushed from the charging conveyor onto the leer conveyor the .fall on the cam will allow the displacer tobe returned by weight 91 to starting position.

i In accordance with the provisiohs of the patent statutes l have described'and illustrated but one embodiment of my invention,

it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, additions, substitutions and modifications may be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a leercoriveyor,

of a charging conveyoranovahle across the leer conveyorfmeans for conveying articles to the charging conveyor, a displacer for moving one article at a time from the charging conveyor to the leer conveyor and means for causing the displacer to move at one veyor and at a greater speed While returning to initial position.

8. The combination with a leer conveyor, of a charging conveyor, a conveyor for loading the charging conveyor and a. transfer table between the loading conveyor and the charging conveyor and frictionally driven thereby.

4. The combination with a cable, of weighted means for moving the cable lengthwise in one direction, multiple series of sheaves encircled by said cable, supports for said sheaves and a'cam so shaped as to periodicaliy separate said supports and cause the cables to travel at a greater speed while moving in one direction than in the other.

5. Thecombination with an endless leer conveyor, of a charging conveyor, a displacer for moving articles from the charging conveyor to the leer conveyor mounted for reciprocation above the charging conveyor, and means for causing said displacer to move in one direction at at least the same speed as the charging conveyor and in the opposite direction at a reduced. speed.

6. The combination with an endless leer conveyor, of an endless charging conveyor, a displacer for moving articles singly from the charging conveyor to the leer conveyor said displacer being mounted for reciprocation above the charging conveyor and means for causing said displacer to move in one direction atat least the same speed as the charging conveyor and in the opposite direction at a reduced. speed. y

'2'. The combination with an endless leer conveyor, of a rotatably mounted table, a carrier for delivering were to the table, second carrier for receiving ware from the table, a reciprocating displacer for moving ware from said second carrier to the leer conveyor, means for angularly adjusting the second carrier with respect to said table and means tor guiding the ware to and from said table to transfer it off one carrier and onto the other, said table projecting between said carrier whereby it is irictionally driven thereby.

8. The combination with a displacer mounted for reciprocation, of a cable attached thereto and at one end secured to a tired support, multiple sheaves arranged in two parallel series and encircled by said cable and means for periodically moving said series of sheaves toward and from each other.

9. The combination with a displacer mounted for reciprocation, of a cable attached thereto and at one, end secured to a fixed support, multiple sheaves arranged in two parallel series and encircled by said cable, and a cam for periodically moving said series toward and from each other.

10. The combination with a displacer mounted for reciprocation, of a fixed support, a pivoted upport, a series of sheaves carried by each support, a cable attached to said displacer encircling said. sheaves and having one end secured to a fixed support and a cam for reciprocating said pivoted. support.

11. The combination with a displacer mounted for reciprocation, of a fixedsuppor t, a pivoted support, a series of sheaves carried by each support, a cable attached to said displacer encircling said sheaves and having one end secured to afixed support, a cam for re ciprocating said pivoted support and a weight secured to the free end of said cable. 12. The combination with two angularly disposed endless conveyors, of a rotatably mounted table projecting between the upper runs of said conveyors and driven thereby and means for uiding articles from one conveyor to the ot ier by way of said table.

13. The combination with two angul'irly disposed endless conveyors, of a rotatably mounted table projecting between the upper runs of said conveyors and driven thereby and means for guiding articles from one conveyor to said table and from said table to the other conveyor.

i l. The combination with two endless'conveyors the major axes of which are angulariv disposed one to the. other, a transfer table frictionally driven by said conveyors, means for guiding articles from one conveyor to the other by Way of said table and means for adjusting the angularity of one of said. con veyors with respect to the other.

15. The combination with a leer conveyor, of two endless conveyors one of which crosses the leer conveyor, a transfer table frictionally driven by said angularly disposed conveyors means for guiding articles onto and l from said transfer table and displacer mechanism for moving articles tothe leer con-- veyor from the conveyor crossing the same.

16. The combination with a cable movable lengthwise in one direction by a weighted member, of a pair of relatively movable levers, sheaves carried by said levers and on- .circled by said cable and a cam for periodically separating said levers to move said cable in opposition to said weighted member and at e difierent s eed from that caused by said weighted member,

17 Thevcombinaqzionwith a cable movable lengthwise inione direction by means of a weighted member, of relatively movable lever 15 arms, cable supports carried by said lever arms and encircled by said cable and e to. tatable cam'for periodically separating said lever arms whereby said cable is moved 1nopposition to said weighted member and at a lower speedihan that caused by said.

EDWIN E. SLICK. 

